Lower Paxton Township drafts ordinance to ban front-yard parking

Lower Paxton Township supervisors want to address complaints about neighbors who use their front yards as permanent parking lots without penalizing residents who occasionally allow overflow parking on their lawns for parties and other short-term gatherings.

The result is a proposed amendment to the township's property maintenance code, likely to be voted on in about 30 days, which still raises concerns with some members of the board.

In its current form, discussed at a June 10 supervisors' workshop, the amendment says "no vehicle shall be parked or stored in the front yard of any premise in an area zoned R-1, R-2 or RC."

Vehicles parked on legal front-yard driveways are allowed.

"The language is too broad. I foresee a lot of problems," said Supervisor Bill Seeds. "There could be a special event ... where it's going to happen."

Feuding neighbors could use the ordinance to harass one another, supervisors said, or residents could be cited when guests park on the grass for brief visits.

Short-term parking is unlikely to cause a problem, said Township Manager George Wolfe, since the ordinance would be addressed by a code enforcement officer, not the police. Violators would get a friendly letter, then a request to correct the condition. If they didn't, they could get a citation and fine, but the whole process could take as long as 45 days and "all we look for is that the violation is corrected."

"We're not going to drive around on a Saturday and look for events," Wolfe said. "This isn't something where tow trucks are going to show up. It would be a civil matter before a magistrate."

The proposed ordinance stems from complaints from residents who said vehicles parked on lawns in their neighborhoods are unsightly and deflate property values.

Lower Paxton Township already has an ordinance to prohibit tractors or unhooked trailers parked on the street, and one that prohibits unregistered vehicles parked anywhere, Wolfe said.